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. 1997 Jan 1;99(1):24–30. doi: 10.1172/JCI119128

Chronic metabolic acidosis enhances NHE-3 protein abundance and transport activity in the rat thick ascending limb by increasing NHE-3 mRNA.

K Laghmani 1, P Borensztein 1, P Ambühl 1, M Froissart 1, M Bichara 1, O W Moe 1, R J Alpern 1, M Paillard 1
PMCID: PMC507763  PMID: 9011571

Abstract

Chronic metabolic acidosis (CMA) is associated with an adaptive increase in the bicarbonate absorptive capacity of the rat medullary thick ascending limb (MTAL). To specify whether NHE-3, the apical MTAL Na/H exchanger, is involved in this adaptation, NHE-3 mRNA was quantified by a competitive RT-PCR using an internal standard which differed from the wild-type NHE-3 mRNA by an 80-bp deletion. CMA increased NHE-3 mRNA from 0.025+/-0.003 to 0.042+/-0.009 amol/ng total RNA (P < 0.005). NHE-3 transport activity was measured as the initial proton flux rate calculated from the Na-dependent cell pH recovery of Na-depleted acidified MTAL cells in the presence of 50 microM HOE694 which specifically blocks NHE-1, the basolateral MTAL NHE isoform. CMA caused a 68% increase in NHE-3 transport activity (P < 0.001). In addition, CMA was associated with a 71% increase in NHE-3 protein abundance (P < 0.05) as determined by Western blot analysis on MTAL membranes using a polyclonal antiserum directed against a cytoplasmic epitope of rat NHE-3. Thus, NHE-3 adapts to CMA in the rat MTAL via an increase in the mRNA transcript that enhances NHE-3 protein abundance and transport activity.

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Selected References

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